Joseph Folse Jr. fradulently received benefits for total disability in the 1990s after a slip and fall accident.
U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced Wednesday that William Joseph Folse Jr., 51, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Michael Hill to making false statements to the Social Security Administration concerning his disability status. Folse, of Scott, in turn received nearly $200,000 in fraudulent benefits.
The SSA conducted the investigation, and according to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Folse applied for and was granted benefits for total disability in the 1990s after a slip and fall accident.
Folse also signed paperwork acknowledging that he would report his change in job status should he return to work, but investigators later found that Folse worked at a restaurant in Lafayette since 1998 and earned more than $12,000 per year plus tips.
Folse faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, restitution, and three years of supervised release.
A sentencing date of May 16 was set.